What kinds of scopes did you use as a kid?

[wpeach1912]

Pretty sure I had a Tasco fixed 4x on my Rem. Model 7 .243 when my great uncle gave it to me. Upgraded not long after to a leupold 3-9 rifleman QDMA which it still wears

 

[tec401]

Random thoughts...

I'm 37. When I was a teenager, shooting relatively cheap guns with cheap scopes for deer hunting, I was typically using Tasco, Bushnell, and Simmons, 3-9x40. I remember my dad had an old 6x Redfield widefield that I thought was pretty decent.

Back then, I thought my Simmons was a good scope. But I didn't actually know any better, until one day I looked through a Nikon ProStaff, and was blown away at the optical clarity. Then a few years later my uncle got a mid-range Leupold, and again, I was blown away. I often reminisce about the days when I thought a Nikon ProStaff was the end all be all of rifle scopes.

And many of the most popular scope companies today didn't even exist 20 years ago. Seems like Vortex just popped up out of nowhere and now they're everywhere.

My entry into "precision" was a New England Firearms, break-action 223 with a bull-barrel and a cheap BSA scope with some ridiculous magnification, like 40x or something. Fun gun, I regret selling it.

A cheap Tasco around 4X I believe. Crappy rifle, trigger from hell. BUT, I have made some incredible shots with that crap rifle

 

[Gunnn]

The first scope I remember using was bushnell banner that my dad ordered when ordered a u7 Herrera rifle in 1968 when they were still able to buy guns through the mail it is a 222 rem mag still in my safe that thing has killed thousands of groundhogs literally. The first really good scope I owned was vx 2 2x7 leupold

 

[Gunnn]

The first scope I remember using was bushnell banner that my dad ordered when ordered a u7 Herrera rifle in 1968 when they were still able to buy guns through the mail it is a 222 rem mag still in my safe that thing has killed thousands of groundhogs literally. The first really good scope I owned was vx 2 2x7 leupold

That should say Herters

 

[woodsmoke]

Bushnell trophy 3-9x40 on my first rifle, Remington M7 6mm. Had it rebarreled years ago, that scope now rides on a ruger American Ranch.

 

[glock63]

I had a swift on my remington 581 S 22 bolt gun. The 270 win I used for deer had a bushnell 3-9 on it. Both rifles are stupid accurate. Still have them, but the optics are different now.

 

[CNJarvis]

Never had a scope as a kid. In fact, I didn’t have one until I was 26. I bought a Leupold Vari-X II, 3-9x50 for my new Sig SHR 970 in 270 Win. I still have them both.

 

[obx22]

Old milky steel tube 3/4” Weaver,
then a 1” Tasco, the old one with the image of the doublet lens engraved under the logo, incredible glass. Had that scope many years and it helped put many a squirrel in the bag.
The Weaver’s continue to impress as they held zero on a Ruger .44Mag carbine.
For many years I considered the 4-16X44AO Tasco the be all-end all of rimfire hunting and silhouette scopes.